Liver regeneration as treatment target for severe alcoholic hepatitis

Severe alcoholic hepatitis(AH)is a distinct entity in the spectrum of alcoholrelated liver disease,with limited treatment options and high mortality.Supportive medical care with corticosteroids in selected patients is the only currently available treatment option,often with poor outcomes.Based on the insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of AH,which are mostly obtained from animal studies,several new treatment options are being explored.Studies have implicated impaired and deranged liver regeneration processes as one of the culprit mechanisms and a potential therapeutic target.Acknowledging evidence for the beneficial effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(G-CSF)on liver regeneration and immunomodulation in animal models,several human studies investigated its role in the treatment of advanced alcohol-related liver disease and AH.Contrary to the previously published studies suggesting benefits of G-CSF in the outcomes of patients with severe AH,these effects were not confirmed by a recently published multicenter randomized trial,suggesting that other options should rather be pursued.Stem cell transplantation represents another option for improving liver regeneration,but evidence for its efficacy in patients with severe AH and advanced alcohol-related liver disease is still very scarce and unconvincing,with established lack of efficacy in patients with compensated cirrhosis.In this review,we summarize the current knowledge on the pathogenesis and experimental therapies targeting liver regeneration.The lack of high-quality studies and evidence is a major obstacle in further treatment development.New insights into the pathogenesis of not only liver injury,but also liver regeneration processes are mandatory for the development of new treatment options.A reliable experimental model of the pathogenesis of AH and processes involved in liver recovery is still missing,and data obtained from animal studies are essential for future research.

Addictive behaviors in liver transplant recipients: The real problem?

Liver transplantation(LT) is the gold standard treatment for end-stage liver disease. Whatever the primary indication of LT, substance abuse after surgery may decrease survival rates and quality of life. Prevalence of severe alcohol relapse is between 11 and 26%,and reduces life expectancy regardless of the primary indication of LT. Many patients on waiting lists for LT are smokers and this is a major risk factor for both malignant tumors and cardiovascular events post-surgery. The aim of this review is to describe psychoactive substance consumption after LT, and to assess the impact on liver transplant recipients. This review describes data about alcohol and illicit drug use by transplant recipients and suggests guidelines for behavior management after surgery. The presence of an addiction specialist in a LT team seems to be very important.

Pharmacotherapy of acute alcoholic hepatitis in clinical practice

Severe alcoholic hepatitis(AH)is an acute form of alcohol induced liver disease with a poor prognosis that is seen in the patients who consume large quantities of alcohol.The diagnosis of AH is based on the appropriate alcohol intake history and is supported with clinical and histological features,and several scoring systems.Glucocorticoids are the mainstay for treating severe AH with pentoxifylline used as an alternative to steroids in addition to total alcohol abstinence.Liver transplantation is a possible therapeutic option for severe AH.Among the anti-craving medications able to improve abstinence rate,baclofen seems to be effective and safe in the alcoholic patients affected by severe liver damage.